(Newser)
–
The American military released nine Iranian prisoners in Iraq today, including two captured when US forces stormed the Iranian consulate in Irbil last January. The men were initially accused of being members of Iran's Quds Force, an arm of the Revolutionary Guards Washington has accused of funding and arming Shiite insurgents. After a “careful review" none of the detainees is considered a security threat, officials said.

Two others have been in custody for nearly a year, and one has been jailed for three years. US officials say the flow of bomb-making materials from Iran seems to have tapered off since Iran promised to stop supplying insurgents. The number of armor-penetrating roadside bombs called EFPs is said to have dropped sharply for the last three months.